Orlando, Florida; November 1998:  — The US Air Force Research Laboratory team, supported by Aechelon Technology conducted a series of complete Distributed Mission Training exercises on the show floor with a real world scenario. Deployed in two booths (US Air Force Research Lab and Silicon Graphics ), two complete training systems were engaged in true full weapons/tactic exercises for the duration of the exhibition. A stealth view was also provided during the exercises in the Silicon Graphics booth using a 3×2 ultra-high resolution video wall, to overview and briefing center for operations.

The training environment was composed of two F16C full mission simulators interacting via HLA with a full tactics host and SAF-generated scenarios. Both full mission simulators were integrated with high fidelity cockpits, supporting full field of view using M2DART display systems with eight ultra-high resolution video channels at 1700×1350, 60hz non interlaced. The image generation for OTW for both simulators in the DMT exercises was provided by Aechelon Technology C-Nova IG software running on two Silicon Graphics Onyx2 RealityMonster of six graphics pipelines each.

The resolution image generation and display subsystems provided the necessary detail to support realistic detection and attitude indications of both air-to-air and air-to-ground targets critical for a realistic exercise.

Both systems achieved the highest image generation fidelity to date, with a 340x400nm geospecific terrain for the Southwestern United States derived from satellite and aerial photography, with typical imagery resolution ranging from 5m to 0.5m. Insets of 0.5m were provided for airfields and target areas. The system supported sustained 60hz updates while paging both texture and geometry from disk with numerous moving targets. Geometry for the high fidelity terrain extended to an 85nm of horizon, including continuous time of day/night, sun/moon and special effects such as smoke columns, explosions and fires.

This type of database was used in the RoadRunner’98 exercise as well as the Coyote exercise, both being developed by the same team, using custom geospecific tools. The exercises included Nellis and Tonopah AFB, as well as other high resolution target areas within the Nellis Range.

This event clearly marked a milestone in the merging of mission rehearsal capabilities into mission trainers in an HLA distributed environment, and demonstrated the feasibility of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s DMT concept, and the fact that it was deployable and close-to-reality training
environments, as described by General Hawley in his keynote address.

MISSION CONTROL DART#3 – DART#1

Copywright 1998 Aechelon Technology Inc.